Behavioral modeling and simulation of Hexapod2 gait system

Abstract

This paper introduces a behavioral design that models and simulates the motion and the control algorithms for Hexapod 2 robot locomotion. The control algorithm aims to move the robot from one point to another while avoiding any obstacles. The design flow comprises modeling of all electrical & mechanical components, the process and the control algorithm using VHDL_AMS. Moreover, it models the Infra Red and Ultrasonic sensors used to allow the robot to detect and avoid safely different types of obstacles, whether it appears suddenly or statically positioned. The robot model achieves a high performance in terms of speed, efficiency and accuracy. Furthermore, VHDL_AMS [1] is shown as a versatile simulation language for Robotics and Mechatronics modeling and control. The simulation results were accurately verified by a real Hexapod2 robot that uses Motorola's 68HC12 microcontroller evaluation board. The work done in this paper was executed using Mentor Graphics® System Vision™ tool.